Cross My Heart
by Suffering Angel
Summary: What if Billy wasn't the first person who caught Teddy secretly super-heroing? Set between ACC and V2


I don't own YA.

* * *

**_Cross My Heart_**

He ducked around a corner, cowering out of sight. Three thugs laid unconscious on the ground, next to a group of teenagers that was trying to figure out what the hell _Daredevil _was doing in that part of Manhattan. Aforementioned Daredevil was no longer around, however, as the disguise outlived its usefulness. It was better for him to return to his secret identity, to be mere Teddy Altman and blend into the crowd when the cops showed up.  
The again-blond watched the scene from afar, mind racing and emotions turbulent. He couldn't deny it - it felt _good_. Being a superhero, fighting the good fight, saving people - it felt good. Yes, there was a cost, yes, sometimes people got hurt... but this was the right thing to do - the right thing for _him_ to do. And right there, for a while, seeing the bad-guys get dragged away by the cops - he was satisfied... For that brief moment before he realized he wasn't alone anymore.

"Ssssssmooth operation!" The voice next to him praised, and suddenly Teddy noticed he had an elbow on his shoulder. He pulled away, only to relax as he recognized his new-found companion. The white hair and orange goggles _were_ rather distinguishable, after all.  
Tommy Shepherd - Speed - another former Young Avenger, and Teddy's sort of brother-in-law - the twin brother of the guy Teddy was keeping such midnight endeavors a secret from... but he refused to think about that then.

"You have to stop sneaking up on me like that." Teddy growled and tried to regain a semblance of composure. Tommy snorted back and pulled away with a graceful step, hands in the pockets of the jacket Teddy realized was covering the more incriminating features of Tommy's body-suit.

"Hey, I actually approached _slowly_-" A term not to be trusted when used by a speedster. "Not my fault your mind's elsewhere."

Teddy wanted to protest but couldn't - Tommy was right, after all.

"I can't believe I ran into you here, though." The speedster followed up, never one for prolonged silences.

"You can't believe I beat you to it, you mean."

"I blame the line at Starbucks."

"Was- was that an attempt at a meme?" Teddy blinked. Tommy growled.

"Shutup."

The cops were gone, the crowd disbanded, and the two headed off. Teddy was beginning to feel increasingly uneasy the longer he was next to Tommy, a fact Tommy at least didn't comment on, if he noticed at all. Aforementioned speedster then yawned, stretched with his arms upraised, and shoved his hands into his pockets.

"Seriously, though, color me surprised. I thought you hopped the 'quit the hero-act' bandwagon with Beels. What did you do to make him let you-"

Teddy came to a stop, a fact Tommy was, naturally, quick to catch up on. He stared at Teddy for what was a long while for Tommy before-  
"Ohgoshhedoesn'tknowdoeshe."

Teddy winced, shoulders hunched. Tommy covered the lower half of his face with both hands and turned away before spinning back.  
"You're sneaking behind his back-"

"You can't tell him." Teddy finally managed, the words spat out in a panic.

"Yeah, sure, because we spend so much time together now that he broke up with the window-"

Hands grabbed him, fingers digging into his shoulders. He could've easily dodged if not for the lost, desperate look in Teddy's eyes that caught him off guard.

"I mean it, Tommy! You have to promise- _swear_ to me you won't tell him!"

Tommy paused, long enough for even Teddy to feel the intermission. His green eyes betrayed little, even when Teddy's voice was heard again, catching the both of them by surprise.

"He can't know, if he does, he'll-"

Regress. Go back to the window. Break. Tommy apparently gave Billy more credit than Teddy did these days, but he couldn't really blame him - couldn't blame either of them. So he did what he could, and instead of replying verbally, he took advantage of the fact Teddy's eyes were downcast. Tommy reached up and marked an X over his heart with two fingers.

"Not much of a boy-scout or whatever, but cross my heart and all that."

Teddy slowly relaxed, or rather- slumped, hands falling to his sides.

"Thank you."

"Yeah, sure, don't mention it. I mean, who am I to preach, right?" Tommy snorted and patted his spandex-clad thighs. "I get why you're doing this, trust me."

Teddy almost managed to smile, but Tommy was already looking at him sternly.  
"Still, I'm _not _you. It's one thing for him to one day find out about _me_ if he didn't already figure it out. Moving out might've given me away and all. But _you_?"

Tommy stalled just long enough to let Teddy brace for impact.

"He _will_ find out, Ted. And it better be because you told him or it'll be _ugly_."

"...I know." Teddy panted and hugged himself. "I know, I just... not yet."

"Hey, not my business." Tommy held his hands up. "Last thing I need is to get tangled up in your domestic crisis... so long as it's solved before it gets to 'too late', you know? I mean, _we're_ buds... and he's still family."

The show of concern was actually touching, and made Teddy feel a bit better.  
"Wait, what happened to 'I don't have feel-'"

"Finish that sentence and _so help me, Altman_." Tommy hissed, making Teddy actually snicker. Satisfied, the speedster pulled his goggles over his eyes and straightened his jacket.  
"Hey, this was fun. Let's do this again sometimes! If nothing else, I'll be an _excellent_ cover-story for you sneaking out!"

Teddy nodded and met Tommy's upraised fist with his own in a friendly bump.  
"Sure thing."

"Crash! Now, if you'll excuse me, some of us have work in the morning."

Tommy took his leave then, leaving Teddy to wonder-  
"Did he really just say 'Crash'?"  
-before starting for home, hoping this wouldn't be the night he got caught on.


End file.
